The Millennial and the King: How to Become a Legend in Review / Write / Read Club (Indie & Self-Published)

Jun 10, 2025 M.A.R. Pereira rated it it was amazing

I really liked the book. I’m a millennial myself, so I could relate to the culture of the time and many of the incidents described. I’m not even a huge MJ fan, but hey, it was his world we lived in back in the ’90s (good ol' ’90s!) I remember watching those interviews, reading the papers, real newspapers and magazines, so this book definitely took me down memory lane.
I really appreciate when authors put in serious effort and do thorough research on the subjects they write about, and that’s certa ...more

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Jun 18, 2025 J.R. Gibson rated it liked it

This was a very different style of story-telling. It was told as a sort of factual biopic about Michael Jackson's life and death, which was very well researched. However, it was told from an unusual perspective, it seemed to be the author's own viewpoint inserted into the timing of Jackson's death. I found this type of story-telling quite confusing, because it jumped around a lot between different points of view therefore at times it was difficult to make sense of whether things really happened ...more

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Mar 30, 2025 Susanne Leist rated it really liked it

The author takes the readers on a journey through her work in public relations, which parallels Michael Jackson's turbulent career. Mirriam Schwellmus begins her infatuation with Michael Jackson as a fan, listening to his music, watching his videos, and dressing in MJ costumes at Halloween parties. Intrigued by his conflicting personas of a man-child and his tougher stage presence, she delves deeper into media archives to find the real Michael Jackson.

The question haunting the author is whether ...more

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May 19, 2025 Lisbeth Amanecer rated it it was amazing

Many passages in this book follow an analytical, essay-style structure, meant as a kind of literary collage. These are interesting, but what I really liked are the more narrative-driven passages.

I found the author’s references to her memoir as really intriguing. In fact, her family circumstances strangely mirror my own in ways! It is cleverly written, and I chuckled a number of times throughout.

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Apr 08, 2025 Lynn Helton rated it really liked it

Shelves: humor, thought-provoking, non-fiction, memoir

This book explores the narrative of the myth around Michael Jackson, his reputation and image. It's a bit of a mash-up between the exploration of Jackson's narrative and a personal memoir, with the focus strongly on the former.

Elements I liked:
The cover is fun and quirky and perfectly reflects the book's focus. The mash-up between the memoir portions and Jackson's narrative worked well. I enjoyed all the creativity and humor (often tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic) used to present some of that narr ...more

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Aug 10, 2025 Sotto Voce rated it liked it

The Millennial and the King is not the book I thought it would be. From the title, it could be an awesome fantasy. When I found out about the actual content, I was ready as well.

As a late Gen-Xer, I can relate to the time period. Although Michael Jackson was not at the top of my preferences, I had one of his albums, which says a lot for a broke teenager who could only afford a few cassette tapes throughout the years. The quality of his music was mostly undeniable, and he was the greatest showman The Millennial and the King is not the book I thought it would be. From the title, it could be an awesome fantasy. When I found out about the actual content, I was ready as well.

As a late Gen-Xer, I can relate to the time period. Although Michael Jackson was not at the top of my preferences, I had one of his albums, which says a lot for a broke teenager who could only afford a few cassette tapes throughout the years. The quality of his music was mostly undeniable, and he was the greatest showman.

The book starts out great, but unfortunately, it goes downhill halfway for me. I like the parallel and how the author relates to her experience in life and as a fan. It was on par at first, but the book drags on for too long, making it feel forced and out of focus as it gets into 200+ pages. The out-of-focus is the one that doesn’t do it well for me. I think I’d be more prepared if this were categorized as part of an autobiography, because it focuses much more on the author. There are many relevant ones (and they are good), but there are many distracting ones that contribute nothing to the ‘plot.’ It makes me forget what I was reading. The author herself acknowledges this, but I have to agree with the unnamed beta readers. Two boring books are not a good option, but one solid, compact one is much better. I draw the number from the air, but maybe 35% of the book can be streamlined. The Screenplay chapter is an unnecessary filler, especially because it’s a mock screenplay. The first AI interview was okay; it tells many unspoken feelings, but the second one, although the last part is a good way to end the book, is also a very questionable filler, in my humble opinion. It blurs the facts and fiction. I’m not sure what the message is here. The other one that is absolutely out of focus is the political rants. Does the book really need this? Again, it distracts too much and weighs on the credibility, which is a pity because I’m sure a lot of efforts were put into making this.

Having said that, others might enjoy the book more. I admire the research, the sources, the details, and the experience of reliving the time again. It is nostalgic, and I reminisce about my own experience. That is the best part of this book. It is also raw and honest, which I appreciate.
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Aug 15, 2025 Eric Gibson rated it really liked it

Schwellnus states that this book is driven by a protest against the upcoming biopic Michael. That makes for an intriguing premise, a PR consultant going to the dark side, using her powers for evil. Or what the rest of us call "journalism." Her research is thorough and organized by theme, her enthusiasm for the subject is endearing, and her discussion of the material disproves the stereotype that Germans have no sense of humor.
The book rambles. Each chapter is a dissection of a different aspect ...more

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Aug 12, 2025 Terry Birdgenaw rated it really liked it

‘The Millennial and the King: How to Become a Legend’ by Miriam Schwellnus is an in-depth examination of the life and musical career of the iconic King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Yet it is more than a biography, as much of the narrative is autobiographical, expressing the impact of Michael Jackson's talents, persona, and lifestyle on the author’s own life. At times quite humorous, often irreverent, with a subtle self-deprecation, the book will be appreciated by die-hard Michael Jackson fans, as we ...more

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May 12, 2025 Juliette Godot rated it really liked it

I liked the Millennial and the King. Full disclosure: I'm a Boomer and am not much of a Michael Jackson fan. The author did extensive research into Michael Jackson. I think she read every article ever written about him.

I liked it because the author looked into the child abuse allegations with an open mind. She didn't sugarcoat or excuse it, but left it up to the reader. I also appreciated the serious consideration of Michael's outlandish ways to get publicity. After all these years of thinking h ...more

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Mar 20, 2025 Miriam Schwellnus rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

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